Blueberry flavor is great no matter where it comes from. However, I’m a stickler for authenticity when it comes to blueberries. I’ll let fake strawberry slide, and will even welcome the chemical tang of “grape” soda. Just don’t mess with the blueberry. Will Meiji continue its streak of epic wins, or will it lose its mega points over blueberry gone wrong?

Packaging

Meiji’s made it to first base with this classy gold, cream and blue box. The tiny blueberries and picture of the product let buyers know what they’re investing in. The cute postage stamp in the corner and the pic of Hokkaido in the background are also nice imagery and convey the inspiration for the treat. So, are blueberries native to Hokkaido and what makes Hokkaido blueberries so special…?

Each goodie is individually wrapped and is easily accessible through the lift-top, resealable tab on the box.
Score: A+

Appearance

I’ve seen Apollo before, in its mini choco/ strawberry incarnation, but blueberry is far more impressive than its minute sibling. The pretty, purple topped white chocolate confection is about an inch high and has tiny flecks of authentic blueberry embedded inside. It looks like the real deal, i.e. real blueberries (and reading the ingredient list confirms it)!
Score: A+

Texture

The texture is more chewy than melt -in-your-mouth, and reminds me of a very soft caramel melt instead of a chocolate. While smooth, the choco is still oddly chewy. The flecks of blueberry add interesting mouth feel.
Score: A

Flavor

Apollo Blueberry rounds home base with its fantastic true blueberry flavor. The first thing that hits the senses is the fruity, berry aroma. One bite backs up what the nose is saying: this is real blueberry! The white chocolate is almost insignificant compared to the berry-ness but the two are a great combo and taste like berries and cream, a real win for Meiji.

There isn’t an overwhelming sweetness to Blueberry, but it still satisfies the sugar cravings while avoiding knocking a person out from sugar shock. Too much sugar would have drowned out the natural flavor of the berries and the balance in Apollo is just right. Score: A+

Verdict

Apollo Blueberry is a delish, berry-ific offering from Meiji and has made it onto my list of “Get Your Own!” candies. The real blueberries are what made the difference in making this a home run instead of a foul. While it may be seasonal, I’ll be thinking longingly of this goody way after Hokkaido’s blueberries are gone.

Pretty boys and scary girl get mixed up in spooky romantic hilarity in Volumes Two and Three of The Wallflower!

plot summary

The pretty bishonen are still scared (kawai! kawai!) of the dark and tangled mess which is Sunako, but they’ve gotten used to her weird, disturbing ways- mostly. They’re even starting to like her! Well, at least they like her sublime Japanese-style cooking.

All four beautiful boys have given up on ever turning Sunako into a lady, even if that means they have to pay full rent to Sunako’s Aunt. Sunako in turn dislikes ever being with the four if she can help it. More often than naught, however, she’s accompanying the lovely lads on their misadventures. But even though Sunako can’t bear to be around the Creatures of Light, as she calls them, she still has room in her cobweb-covered heart to help them out when they need a hand. And Sunako with her strange and almost brutal manner of “solving” issues, manages to make things easier and brighter, despite her storm-clouded demeanor.

review

This series is such a laugh. The way it pokes fun at the shojo genre, and the idea of bishis in general, is hilarious. It’s even funnier because the characters are in on the joke: (cherry blossoms gently drift down and the clip-clop of geta can be heard) Yuki comments, “What’s with this very Japanesey atmosphere?” (Takenaga makes an entrance amid the flowers).

Even someone who has no idea what bishonen and shojo are and sat down and watched this show, they’d still get the laughs. Handsome men (no matter the archetype) with awkward issues are funny, if done right, and Wallflower is done right.

Character Development

The delicate stereotypes of beautiful young men are shattered as we discover in these two volumes the secrets these four bishis hide behind their lovely faces. Takenaga is inept when it comes to women, Ranmaru is a pervy ladies man who always looks out for himself and Kyouhei is a borderline delinquent who dislikes dating. And poor Yuki, well, he just looks like a girl and that’s trouble enough in the world of anime.

Sunako is “hopeless” when it comes to ever being a lady, but you gotta give her credit for being herself, despite how other people judge her. The boys seem to be warming up to Sunako, so why should she change?

Conclusion

The Wallflower is an accidental romantic comedy in that the romance may or may not be what it seems. There’s more to this series than a run-down goth gal trying to become a refined lady, and more to the bishis than just a pretty face. Who’s to judge when the heart sees one thing and the eyes see something else? For me, I see these two volumes of Wallflower as a really good time, despite the series looking like a page torn from a shojo manga.

Rating

Volumes Two and Three of The Wallflower get 5 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info, Volume Two

• Publisher: ADV
• Release Date:February 26, 2008
• Retail Price: $29.98
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes:6-9
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Rating: TV-14 D
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Retail Info, Volume Three

• Publisher: ADV
• Release Date:May 27, 2008
• Retail Price: $29.98
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes:10-13
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Rating: TV-14 D
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

• Anime Expo – Los Angeles, California (USA)
• CONvergence – Bloomington, Minnesota (USA) – (Primarily a Science Fiction Convention)
• Gen Con Australia – Brisbane, Queensland (Australia) – (Primarily a Game Convention)
• PortConMaine – Portland, Maine (USA)

July 5, 2008

• Chibicon – Utrecht, Netherlands (Site language is Dutch with some English)

July 5 – 6, 2008

• AniMex – Monterrey, NL (Mexico) (Site language is Spanish)
• Mecra Summer – Taipei, Taiwan (Site language is Chinese)

July 10 – 13, 2008

• Portus 2008 – Dallas, Texas (USA) – (Primarily a Harry Potter Convention)

July 11 – 13 & 16 – 20, 2008

• Anime Friends – São Paulo, Brazil (Site language is Portuguese)

July 12 – 13, 2008

• Anime TuCon – Tucson, Arizona (USA)

July 18 – 20, 2008

• AniMix – Killeen, Texas (USA) Note: This is their inaugural Con.
• Daigacon – Bowling Green, Kentucky (USA) Note: This Con has been postponed.
• Ikasucon – Fort Wayne, Indiana (USA)
• Metrocon – Tampa, Florida (USA)

July 19, 2008

• DC Anime Cosplay Party 2008 – Silver Spring, Maryland (USA) – (This is a cosplay event)

July 19 – 20, 2008

• WonderFest – Louisville, Kentucky (USA) – (Primarily a Model and Toy Convention)

July 24 -27, 2008

• Comic-Con International: San Diego – San Diego, California (USA) – (Primarily a Comics Convention)

July 25 – 27, 2008

• Ai-Kon – Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada)
• Animecon – São Paulo, Brazil (Site language is Portuguese)
• Fieldcon – Morgan County, Ohio (USA) – (This is an outdoor Convention and Camp-out)
• MACOnvention – Leonding, Austria (Site language is German)

July 25 – 28, 2008

• Tokonatsu – Milton Bryan, England (UK) – (This is an outdoor Convention and Camp-out)

July 26 – 27, 2008

• Animecon – Tampereen, Finland (Site language is Finnish)
• AVCon – Adelaide, South Australia (Australia)
• Otakuthon – Montreal, Quebec (Canada) (Site languages are French and English)

August 1 – 3, 2008

• AnimagiC – Bonn, Germany (Site language is German)
• Animatsuri – Warsaw, Poland (Site language is Polish)
• ConnectiCon – Hartford, Connecticut (USA)
• Convencion Avalancha – Caracas, Venezuela (Site language is Spanish)
• Fandemonium – Nampa, Idaho (USA) – (Primarily a Science Fiction Convention)
• Kakkoi|con – Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA)
• Matsuri Con – Herning, Denmark (Site language is Danish) – Note: I believe the site says the Con has been cancelled for this year
• MechaCon – Lafayette, Louisiana (USA)
• Tokyo In Tulsa – Tulsa, Oklahoma (USA)
• Yasumicon – Miami, Florida (USA)

August 2, 2008

• ACG Egg – Taipei, Taiwan (Site language is Chinese)
• Auto Assembly – Birmingham, England (UK) – (Primarily a Transformers Convention)
• SMASH! Sydney Manga and Anime Show – Sydney, New South Wales (Australia)
• OtakuOmaha – Omaha, Nebraska (USA)
• Sci-Fi Summer – Marietta, Georgia (USA) – (Primarily a Science Fiction Convention)

August 2 – 3, 2008

• Ancient City Con – Jacksonville, Florida (USA)
• Ani-Jam – Fresno, California (USA)

August 3, 2008

• Zuiichi – Vancouver, Washington (USA) – (Primarily a Japanese culture event)

August 6 – 10, 2008

• World Science Fiction Convention – Denver, Colorado

August 8 – 10, 2008

• Amecon – Leicester, England (UK)
• Animethon – Edmonton, Alberta (Canada)
• Otakon – Baltimore, Maryland (USA)
• San Japan – San Antonio, Texas (USA)

August 9, 2008

• JAMMCon – Port Huron, Michigan (USA) – Note: Con has been cancelled
• Kin-Yoobi Con – Hayward, California (USA)

August 14 – 17, 2008

• Gen Con Indy – Indianapolis, Indiana (USA) – (Primarily a Gaming Convention)
• Anime Festival Orlando – Orlando, Florida (USA)
• Anime Festival Wichita – Wichita, Kansas (USA)
• AnimeIowa – Coralville, Iowa (USA)
• AniMiniCon – Charlton, Massachusetts (USA) – Note: The event is the last one listed on the website
• Comic Market (aka Comiket) – Tokyo, Japan (Site language is Japanese with some English)
• MahouCon – Huntington Beach, California (USA) – Note: The Con has been postponed.

August 22 – 24, 2008

• Anime Evolution – Burnaby, British Columbia (Canada)
• Fan Expo Canada – Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
• MatsuriCon – Worthington, Ohio (USA)

August 22 – 25, 2008

• PierniCON – Torun, Poland (Site language is Polish)

August 23 – 24, 2008

• Erie Anime Experience – Erie, Pennsylvania

August 28 – 29, 2008

• Kita-Kon – Thunder Bay, Ontario (Canada)

August 28 – 31, 2008

• Gen Con UK – Berkshire, England (UK) – (Primarily a Gaming Convention)

August 29 – 31, 2008

• AniNite – Vienna, Austria (Site language is German)
• Penny Arcade Expo – Seattle, Washington (USA) – (Primarily a Gaming Convention)
• Sac-Anime – Sacramento, California (USA)

August 30 – 31, 2008

• C3xHobby – Chiba City, Japan (Site language is Japanese) – (Primarily a Mecha Event)

August 30, 2008

• Summer Matsuri – Salem, New Hampshire (USA) – Note: This is a re-scheduled event.

August 29 – September 1, 2008

• AnimeFest – Dallas, Texas (USA)
• Con-X-treme – San Mateo, California (USA)
• Dragon*Con – Atlanta, Georgia (USA) – (Primarily a Science Fiction Convention)

August 30 – September 1, 2008

• Anime Vegas – Las Vegas, Nevada (USA)
• Kumoricon – Portland, Oregon (USA)

There are always “herds” of cosplay from popular anime (Naruto and Bleach come to mind), and the occasional “flock” of cosplays from less popular, but still fairly well-known, anime and games, and lastly there are the rarer, seldom seen cosplays from obscure anime and manga. Look! Over there! It’s that snake-guy thing seen on the left-hand corner of page hundred of Random Manga!! OMG! Get a picture before he gets spooked!

Each year offers new opportunities to finally check off the Cosplay-Watch List those cosplays we’ve longed to see, and see done right. Last year for me, it was Pip Bernadette from Hellsing at Anime Expo. That gal was dead on and looked fantastic, down to the tiniest detail. Then there was the absolutely adorable Schroedinger and the creepy Herr Doctor, also from Hellsing. Wow, three in one day! That’s good cosplay watching!

The one cosplay I’m still waiting to snap a photo of is a brilliantly done Alucard (another Hellsing, I know). It would be my greatest pleasure to see a perfect Alucard, cosplayed by a guy. Coming in close second on my wish list is a skillfully done L from Death Note. It’s an easy cosplay to do, but it’s hard to do right. I think it may be difficult to get perfect because people go visually verbatim with the hair. I’d also like to see a guy pull this one off successfully. I have many more minor cosplays I’d like to see, but I’m satisfied with the cosplays I’ve checked off so far.

What cosplays have made it onto your Cosplay-Watch List? Is it a rare character? Or is it a popular one, but one you want to see done perfectly? Is it a character from a video game, anime or manga? Does a group cosplay tickle your interest? Have you been crossing your fingers, hoping this will be the year to finally get a snapshot of that one elusive cosplay? Which cosplays are you hoping to spot at the cons?

But for manga which really get my attention, I put aside my fear of winding up in an endless loop of rereading. One of those series which not only caught my attention but tamed and domesticated it, is the ever popular Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. One volume was all it took to lure me into reading all twelve volumes as quickly as time and money would allow. And then rereading it. Again. And again.

Plot Summary

Boredom can be deadly, at least that’s how it turns out when a shinigami (death god) decides he needs a little excitement in his life. The shinigami in question, Ryuk, casually drops his death note into the human world, with instructions on its use scrawled in English on the inside cover:

* The human whose name is written in this note shall die.

* This note will not take effect unless the writer has the subject’s face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected.

* If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the subject’s name, it will happen.

* If the cause of death is not specified, the subject will simply die of a heart attack.

* After writing the cause of death, the details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

The human who picks up Ryuk’s death note, Light Yagami, also happens to be bored. Light, a gifted student, sees the death note as his opportunity to change the world and make it a better place – and to rule it.

But just as Light is hitting his stride in reshaping the world by offing thousands of criminals, his efforts are confounded by the mysterious world renown detective, L.

L, who always solves his case, has taken on the challenge of uncovering the identity of the quasi-benevolent murder dubbed Kira (Killer) by the public. As the two go head to head, a dangerous game unfolds in which one misstep is a sentence of death.

Who will win this cat and mouse, or more appropriately, shinigami and human, game?

Review

The series is a fantastic essay on the meaning of good and evil, right and wrong, and how might may, or may not, make right. It’s scary too. Scary that a teen could do such things, scary that some people actually agree with his methods.

Death Note is one of the most compelling and riveting reads to ever hit manga. The convoluted reasonings, suspenseful moments, and heart pounding action provide enough mental exertion to wear a person out after just two volumes. And yet, the manga is so incredibly hard to put down, it’s easy to dive back into the series after the mind has taken a short breather.

Each chapter compels the reader to to uncover the answers to questions that snowball throughout the manga – Who was that guy? Will Light get caught this time? Has L finally got his man? What’s she got to do with anything? Are you serious?! Really?!! When and how will Light, if ever, get his comeuppance?!!!

The charm and allure of the series is the way it draws a person in – Death Note is a black hole which sucks the reader into its universe and keeps them there. The characters are what drives this phenomena. They’re so interesting and so well developed, people can’t help but feel something towards or with them. It’s impossible to be a bystander in this series. Readers almost immediately “choose sides”: L or Light. For a manga to elicit such definite reactions is nothing short of amazing, and that, in part, can account for its incredible, demographic-spanning popularity.

Character Development

Death Note has fantastic character development, enough so you cheer or boo the characters. Light is portrayed as a smart, handsome, hard-working and honest teen who wants to better the world. The flipside to that are his egomaniacal posturing and highly questionable methods.

L comes across as a brilliant, frumpy, asocial genius who takes on tough, unsolvable cases. His personality is unpredictable and almost undecipherable, and it’s difficult to decide if what he says and does is natural or all part of his master plan. He’s adept at playing on people’s desires and emotions to get what he wants to solve a case, which in its way, is also highly questionable.

L and Light really aren’t so different underneath their veneers, but they’re more like mirror images then exact copies. While their intelligence, true personalties and goals (world peace and justice) are almost a match, it’s hard to imagine two people who are further apart in terms of good and evil. They seem to define the other, and give Death Note that “can’t put it down” appeal.

Character Design

Character designs and style for the series are a good mix of realism and traditional manga. Some scenes have a touch of over-exaggeration, but most are done in an unique style.

The world of Death Note reflects that style and mostly takes place in Japan, with a foray into the world of the Reapers thrown in. The shinigami are the most interesting looking characters in the series, albeit the most undeveloped and boring.

Everyone else that’s a major character is in league with the Beautiful People. Even the bleary-eyed and ruffled L manages to look good in this series. The bad guys and the good guys alike, who share the spotlight, are attractively inked for the reader’s viewing pleasure.

Art

Lines are crisp and details aplenty, making the art on par with the story. The shading is also a win in that it isn’t over done, but is placed effectively to impart the feel of inner darkness and evil thoughts.

Takeshi Obata, the artist responsible for the incredible style of Death Note, did a sublime job conveying all the twisted emotions running through the manga. Light is significantly creepy in his expressions, even though he’s drawn well enough to make fans swoon.

Panel layout is also a plus as the full pages are used only for impact in a dramatic scene. Layout is a language, just like the art, and the usage in Death Note needed no translation.

Amazingly, Obata kept the art strong throughout all twelve volumes of the manga. Some scenes in some chapters may have been a little below the quality line, but overall the art stayed as robust as the story.

Production

The paper quality for the manga is better than most series, and is offset by beautiful covers.

Conclusion

Death Note is a series so good, so dramatic and so fun, it’s the one series I recommend to people who don’t read manga. They too can’t resist reading as Light tries in his crazy, yet well-inked, way to “make the world a better place”. However, I advise all who consider reading Death Note to buy as many volumes at once as possible and to take time off to read them all. Trust me, you won’t want to come up for air.

Rating

Death Note, Full Series gets 5 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher:Viz
• Release Date:October 10, 2005 to July 3, 2007
• Retail Price:$7.99
• Episodes: 1-5
• Language: English

Packaging

Choco & Coffee has very elegant packaging, with a salmon and burgundy gradient and English script. The kanji is in small gold letters and offsets the colors of the pretty tarts pictured on the bag. Being able to see the product in one way or another is good, and Choco & Coffee tops that with not only displaying pictures of their product, but showcasing the product itself to boot. The elegance is marred, however by two incongruities: A yellow barn and silo sketched in as background plus a tacked on green wheat stamp in the lower corner. That’s just weak. Ignoring the barn is easy, but there’s no getting around that stylized green blob. Score: B+

Appearance

The tarts/cookies are dually wrapped. Each packet contains two thin, wafers filled with either chocolate or coffee flavored cream. The tarts are rather thin, but look good enough to serve at a tea party, fanned out on a pretty silver tray. Score: A

Texture

Choco & Coffee has good texture. A nice crispness of the wafer is followed by a smooth creaminess of the filling. The balance of mouthfeel is good. Score: A

Flavor

The first bite is a tad unexpected: The cookie is lightly sweetened and the coffee variety is slightly bitter, making for an un-cookie like experience. Although it’s light on the sugar, the cookie has a hint of butter. The chocolate and coffee fillings are creamy and are also very lightly sweetened. The coffee flavor, however, is robust and the chocolate is rich, but the minimal sweetness makes this treat a bit lacking.

After partaking of each cookie separately, I ate a coffee and a choco together, the way they’re packaged. The effect is tasty, but still not a full throttle dessert. Although the little “tarts” look like dessert waiting to happen, the experience doesn’t impart much of that feeling. Choco & Coffee doesn’t satisfy a sugar yen yet has a sophistication which I imagine speaks to mature Japanese. I don’t think these lil’ tarts would be a good accompaniment to bitter tea or coffee. Score: B-

Verdict

Choco & Coffee aren’t my idea of a cookie. They make an elegant dessert-esque display, while they have chocolate and coffee included in the ingredients, they just don’t fill that sugar craving. However, they do have a mature taste which may suit those pallets which prefer lightly sweetened treats. For me though, I’ll pass on these next time and reach for the Apollo instead.

Pervy hijinks prevail in Volumes Three and Four of the hilarious, and oh so wrong, Ninja Nonsense!

plot summary

The nonsense is nonstop as the ninja go through the seasons of fall and winter. Kaede returns to school, and normalcy, but frequently stops by to visit Shinobu at the ninja headquarters. Just as frequently, Shinobu and Onsokumaru make surprise visits to Kaede, and not always welcome ones at that.

Onsokumaru continues in his quest to catch the girls without their clothing, and just as continually, he fails. But half the fun is in the trying, so you can’t call him a quitter!

As winter turns to spring, Kaede discovers the secret about Shinobu Onsokumaru alluded to a while back. Will Kaede and Shinobu still stay friends?

review

These two volumes were the best out of the entire four volume series. There was more pervy goodness, more absolute insanity, more “Oh my dear god, did he just do that?!” moments and more side splitting hilarity.

Anime stereotypes, overplayed scenes and fetishes are all deliciously mocked in each episode. Even the ever present (in adult anime) tentacle theme was given a good poke, along with the fanboys who adore it. Not even Christmas was left out of the mix, and included culture references such as the Christmas cake and the Japanese idea of the “true” meaning of Christmas- romance!

Even though the series is rife with obscure cultural references, anime fans will still be able to understand the stereotypes and storytelling enough to be able to roll on the floor laughing. Dirty, unethical men doing random pervy things translates into any language and culture.

The randomness is what makes Ninja Nonsense such a hit. Nothing makes much sense beyond each episode, but the series stays committed to its absurdity and the laughs keep coming.

Character Design

The style for Ninja Nonsense also helped the humor. It’s hard not to laugh at cute, adorable girls being imagined doing lewd acts. The very incongruity is amusing. Character designs are very stereotypical in anime- big eyes, big boobs, scanty outfits- but anything else wouldn’t have worked as well; especially since all these things were lovingly made fun of.

Animation

Animation for Ninja Nonsense was consistent throughout the series and stayed strong.

Voice Acting

Both the English and Japanese voice casts are good. The English voice cast is fantastic however, and really shines. Watching the last two volumes with the dub was a treat. I now wish I had it on the entire time instead of the subtitles, that’s how good the acting was.

Volumes Three and Four Conclusion

These two volumes are terrific, and wrap up the series perfectly. It’s hard to imagine a satisfactory ending to such a random series, but Ninja Nonsense delivered the final laughs in style.

Volumes Rating

Ninja Nonsense, Volumes Three and Four gets 5 outta 5 Hammies!

Series Conclusion

Ninja Nonsense is a hilarious series with a pervy bend. Although boob jokes abound, it’s humor which older folk can appreciate- if they don’t mind fiendishly funny low-brow humor. This anime is not suitable for most audiences, but it’s a guilty, dirty, dirty pleasure for those it is.

Series Rating

Ninja Nonsense, Complete Series gets 4.5 outta 5 Hammies!

Volumes Three Retail Info

• Publisher: Right Stuf!
• Release DateOctober 31, 2006
• Retail Price: $29.99
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes:7-9
• Run Time:80 minutes
• Rating: TV-MA
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Volumes Four Retail Info

• Publisher: Right Stuf!
• Release Date:November 28, 2006
• Retail Price: $29.99
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes:10-12
• Run Time:80 minutes
• Rating: TV-MA
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

In his video he discusses what’s wrong with modern anime fansubs and the future of subtitles in general. But why make a documentary to vent the pain? Paul was gracious enough to discuss with me his history with anime, his love of translation and just why current fansubs inspired him to create the video to begin with…

Interview With Paul “Otaking” Johnson

Rachel: How long have you been an anime fan?

Paul: Since the late 80s. Though at the time, I didn’t realize it was anime I was watching. My favourite shows here in the UK in the 80s were Ulysses 31, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, etc…all of which looked suspiciously much better than any other “cartoons” on TV at the time.

Later on, I learned the reason why: that they’d been drawn and animated in Japan. When I saw Transformers: The Movie, my eyes almost fell from my skull in shock (it’s not every day you get to see a hand-drawn and beautifully shaded planet torn apart in graphic detail). My interest was peaked. It was when BBC 2 aired Akira in the mid 90s that I became a full-blown otaku. And when I saw the legendary Otaku no Video, I vowed to become the English OtaKing.

Rachel: How does your interest in anime tie into your interest in translating?

Paul:Anime, being in Japanese, is incredibly fun to translate into English. Localisation is extremely challenging and rewarding, and finding a funny pun in English that keeps the same feel as the Japanese one is often like hearing the victory music from Final Fantasy 7 in your head. As a viewer of early subtitles (a special mention must go to Animeigo’s subs of Bubblegum Crisis and Kiseki’s Otaku no Video subs), I like to think I’ve been influenced by the best. Plus I have a passion for what I translate, which always helps.

Rachel: What got you into becoming a professional translator?

Paul:Well, after working at McDonald’s for 4 years, I finally decided to throw off my McDonald’s tie (as in Otaku no Video) and go totally otaku. After doing the University of Sheffield’s Japanese course for 4 years (with one year in Japan) and then an MA in Translation Studies, the path was open to start contacting companies and getting my name out there. Being part of an industry you love is a nice thing…though competition is fierce and often you’ll have to translate boring legal documents just to make enough money to eat.

Rachel: How long have you been a pro translator?

Paul:Around five years now, though I was moonlighting a little whilst still technically on my Japanese course.

Rachel: What projects have you worked on?

Paul:Unfortunately, non-disclosure clauses prevent me from naming titles until they’re on the shelves. I’ve translated several light novels for Del Rey and others, now, and the first one I did (ages ago now) STILL isn’t on the shelves, so a large portion of my name-dropping isn’t allowed unless I want to get sued!

In terms of games, I can say that I worked on in-game text for Half Life 2: Survivor (the Japanese arcade game based on the PC version), a great many instruction manuals featuring a certain Italian plumber and a guy in a pointy green hat, and quite a few press releases for Hudson Soft (Bomberman and the like).

Sadly I haven’t been involved with, say, Silent Hill (a personal favourite), but maybe someday in the future, eh? My pet project would have to be Namco X Capcom, but it seems unlikely that will ever be released in English. Recently, the DS has been kind to me, with many jobs translating games on that platform. A good agency-translator relationship is a must, and for that I’m glad to be working with the Spanish company Localsoft, who really go out of their way to provide me with all the research material and in-game terminology I need, as well as big-ass .pdfs of all manuals, etc.

Rachel: You speak of older fansubs with respect, and maybe a bit of admiration. What work, if any, have you done on fansubs?

Paul:Well, technically they’re illegal so I’ve never done anything substantial. I did help produce a rather nice fansub of Berserk to show at the Sheffield Anime Society though, but that was an exclusive that nobody has save one guy in Japan. I remember spending up to fifteen minutes arguing with my pro translator friend (the aforementioned guy) about how we needed to get the line “yonder knight!” in there.

Masterpiece lines included “Split the very sod if it you have to!” as a translation of “look everywhere to find him.” Fansubbers really are missing out on a lot of fun localization by insisting on leaving everything in literal Japanese. There’s a lot you can do in English that you can’t in Japanese (particularly with insults and sarcasm).

Rachel: Can you describe what precisely spurred you to create your documentary?

Paul:Anger, rage, hatred and more rage. My housemate was watching that awful Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei sub that I used in my video at the time, and that was the last straw. It was either make the video or throw myself from the Tower of London. I think most fansubbers would prefer if I’d done the latter. And ever since God of War, throwing yourself off large structures is a bit of a cliche anyway…

Rachel: Anger, hatred and rage…but what did your love of anime have do with it, or was it just the rage? Surely there was some love, albeit it tough love….

Paul: It’s because I love anime (well, not so much the modern stuff, but that’s a story for another day) that I hate seeing it ruined by shoddy translations. If fansubs had looked like they do now back in the early 90s, I wouldn’t have been able to understand what was going on and would have dropped the whole “anime” thing out of sheer frustration. Is it such a terrible thing to enjoy anime because of the story, characters and art? Apparently it is, because nowadays you need to love and have a reverential worship of Japanese language and culture to be allowed in.

You have to translate properly into English if you want new people to get into anime too… and what with “pro” DVD companies starting to follow modern fansub methods of leaving things in Japanese and refusing to translate cultural terms, I think that it’s going to be harder and harder for new people to discover anime without feeling excluded from some kind of “clique.” Of course, they can watch the dubs on TV, yes. But there’s one problem with that…The dubs are mostly utterly appalling in terms of voice talent (again, inexcusable when such dubs as Metal Gear and many Streamline Pictures and early Manga ENT. dubs show good dubs are possible.

Manga’s expletive-filled dub of Cyber City Oedo 808 is still one of my favourite dubs of all time!) and the shows as they appear on today’s mainstream TV (One Piece, Dragonball, etc) are so heavily edited they bear little resemblance to the original source matter. I remember well how Cartoon Network re-drew all of the pistols and revolvers in Outlaw Star so that the characters were holding cheesy, non-lethal “ray guns” instead. Or how Dragonball characters were “sent to another dimension” when in the Japanese version script they were dead.

Rachel: Why did you make it and what were you trying to accomplish?

Paul:Well, I never intended anyone to listen, to be honest. Fansubbers and modern anime fans are a cliquey lot who love their magical Japanese language, so I very much doubted anyone would change their ways just because I was presenting some arguments backed by mere academic research and fact. The reason I made it as a video, however, is that a picture paints a thousand words and I could hopefully show some professionalism by getting some hand-drawn animation in there. Although I think we all agree most people would have picked Starscream on the “Narrator Select” screen instead of my whiney, annoying voice.

Rachel: If you got through to some fansubbers with this video, and they reached out to you, how would you be willing to help them, or would you?

Paul: I’d happily put together some kind of article detailing tricky translation issues and how translators of video games/anime in the past have gotten around them. Though, as I’ve said in a number of posts, the best way is probably just to have a go on Snatcher on the Sega CD and see how that was translated. With emulation being what it is, it’s quite easy to contrast both the Japanese and English versions side by side on your basic PC, and experience for yourself how they went about it.

The translation is pretty much a work of art. For full-on localisation (and I’m in two minds about this one, because I think changing character names and countries is a step too far) then Phoenix Wright on the DS gives you all the examples you’d need to get around cultural in-jokes and render them into funny English equivalents.

Rachel: Your video raised much ire in the fansubbing and anime communities. How do you feel your message will get through with that kind of response?

Paul: I think this actual posted response about sums most of it up:

“FUCK YOU, you elitist nazi attention whore faggot, and enjoy your shitsucks old shows in video format with crappy subs. Otaking? Sounds more like Otacunt to me. Also, most fansubs are mach better then what you show. You have only showed the worst ones, which I can count on one hand, you retarded faggot.”

Actually, though, it’s not been that bad. This barely literate specimen was definitely in the minority. I’ve had quite a surprising amount of people agree with my points, and some very civil conversations via Youtube. One guy even said that he is a fansubber and my video has made him think twice about the way he’ll translate in the future.

On the whole, though, I’ve found on many forums, such as Animesuki and Kaizoku-Fansubs, that any opinion voiced in defence of my video is immediately labeled a “troll” and told to shut up. Nobody likes being told they’re wrong, after all, and I don’t expect my video will change a thing. I had to make it, though, or I would have exploded from pent up rage and taken half my house with me. The landlord wouldn’t have been too pleased.

Rachel: You cite many quotes from famous translators on the subject of translating. How do you feel their words as professionals translating literature and film some ten, twenty years ago, are relevant to younger people translating anime for free on their laptops?

Paul:Basically, good schools of thought never get old and this is a translation debate that’s raged since bible translation times whilst still being relevant today. One half thinks the original language is so great that you need to leave it all in the original format, and the other side says that defeats the point of translation, and wants to actually translate it into the target language. As an English translator, I follow Eugene Nida’s school, called “dynamic equivalence” that actually wants to translate Japanese anime, manga and games into English.

Famous examples of this method (and its relevance to today’s market) are games like Phoenix Wright, where all the jokes and puns are expertly localised, or games like the legendary Snatcher on the Sega CD, which is arguably one of the best translations of all time, done by Jeremy Blaustein who then went on to translate Metal Gear Solid into English. And we all know how good and well-received by the gaming press that script was.

Another fine example of dynamic equivalence is Dark Horse’s early manga translations. They’d flip them left to right, English style, they’d convert all honorifics and Japanese terms to English, and do a top class job. Their translations of Appleseed, Dominion and Ghost in the Shell were magnificent, and precisely what got me into reading manga. Totally localised into perfect English, making it a seamless read, whilst losing none of the original plot, story or character names.

Studio Proteus‘ translation of Shirow’s INTRON DEPOT is a flawless masterpiece, perfectly indicative of dynamic equivalence. All of Shirow’s comments are rendered into perfectly conversational English, slang included. If you check it against the Japanese that Shirow actually wrote, it keeps the tone perfectly. The amount of creative thought that must have gone into it is staggering. Modern fansubbers would hate it.

The other school – the one most fansubbers follow – is called “formal equivalence,” and it believes that if you change any of the source text, you lose the meaning and ruin it. Which is why fansubbers leave in honorifics, put everything in Japanese name order and produce incredible lines like the famous “Inawari Shiro’s Kame Hime-sama has sent the meat if a renowned Bushi from Izumo no Kuni for you to enjoy.” Faithful to the Japanese? Yes. Intelligible? Not even slightly.

Ironically, though, these same people enjoy Metal Gear Solid and its translation.

Rachel: What rules, if any, should these volunteers follow and why?

Paul:Definitely the rules of dynamic equivalence, which states that we, as translators, translate MEANING and not WORDS. So what if “onee-sama” has no English equivalent? Get rid of it, and make the difference in status between the two speakers apparent in other ways. The most basic rule of dynamic translation is that the finished product should sound like a natural read in English.

Lines like (as shown in my video) “For your exam…Do your best!” are not a natural read. They’re sticking to the Japanese word order and producing a clumsy mess that can only appeal to a cliquey Wapanese faction. I’m not for one moment saying that Japanese names like “Hiro Tanaka” should be changed to “Brad Spangler,” but what’s wrong with writing “rice balls” instead of “onigiri?” To most fansubbers, that would be tantamount to sacrilege.

To someone who just wants to enjoy the show, it’s plain, common sense. If the viewer has to pause the show to read a long-winded cultural note at the top of the screen explaining that “sensei” means “teacher” in Japanese, then they have failed as a translator and should hang their heads in abject shame. With enough imagination, most Japanese words can be rendered in English. And those that can’t can be gotten around in other ways that are maybe too long-winded to talk about here…

Rachel:Why should they adhere to professionalism when they’re not getting paid as professionals do?

Paul: Fansubs in the past were also free, but it didn’t stop them from translating properly, and in many cases they were better than the official DVD releases (when the official releases eventually came out, that is). Yes, some early fansub groups paid to get them translated (even more proof of dedication to the task, if you ask me), but anyone who says that evrey single 80s and 90s fansub group was paying professional translators to sub their favourite shows is clearly deluded.

Also, as I said, early fansubs were often better than the official subtitles. As has been mentioned on several forums, the OFFICIAL DVD subtitle of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya has Kyon stating “I have a ponytail moe.”

If, as a young kid, I’d bought an official DVD to be met with a translation like that, I wouldn’t know what to think. “What the hell is a moe?” “Why do all the characters have the same surname – san???” You can see the problem when the fansub method is infecting the big companies who really, really should be setting a better example. “I have a ponytail moe” is not English, and it’s the kind of translation a professional DVD company should be ashamed of. Flip the DVD over and what does it say? “English subtitles.” “I have a ponytail moe” makes a mockery of that claim. And that’s just one example of how “fansub-like” many official DVD subtitles are becoming.

If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well. My video was free and I got paid nothing, but it didn’t stop me researching translation theory for a year or hand drawing and animating the cut scenes just to grab people’s attention (they certainly wouldn’t stick around for my voice, that’s for sure!).

Also, the cancer that is honorifics and screen cluttering cultural notes is starting to infect “professional” manga releases too. Manga in English nowadays is printed Japanese-style, ensuring maximum difficulty for new fans to get into reading it, and this is part of the whole “let’s all be one big Japanese-speaking club” disease perpetuated in no small part by many modern fansubs.

I believe strongly that fansub groups (not all, as I’ve heard it said that there are still some good ones out there who translate properly) need to take a long look at how fansubs used to be done, drop the flashy effects, eat a few slices of humble pie and stop trying to make themselves bigger than the shows that they’d be nothing without. And everyone, without question, should go and read how Dark Horse translated the original Ghost in the Shell manga in the 90s, because it’s a paragon of how Japanese-English translation should be.

Rachel: How do you think the fact that more and more anime are being licensed, impacts the state of fansubbing?

Paul: Well, my main concern here is that the cancer that is honorifics and screen cluttering cultural notes, so beloved by lazy fansubbers, is starting to infect “professional” DVD releases too. This is a massive concern, as several “professional” DVD companies and manga/novel publishers are now leaving in honorifics and cultural notes instead of DOING THEIR JOBS and translating.

More anime being licensed can only be a good thing, but the amount of fly-by-night “let’s jump on the anime bandwagon” companies that are springing up is worrying to say the least. Their translations are practically on par with the worst fansub examples highlighted in my video. Even the once-great Dark Horse is re-releasing their already perfect English translation of Ghost in the Shell, only flipped to appeal to the Wapanese purists and, no doubt, filled with freshly inserted honorifics and notes (I pray to heaven that this isn’t the case). If it is, I’ll have to take down my thirty foot golden statue of Toren Smith,

Rachel: What would you say in your opinion are the main reasons people produce fansubs, contrasting them with the fansubbers from the early days and the present?

Paul: Essentially, fansubs used to be a noble cause. As the video says, it cost a lot of time and money and effort, and they fansubbed because the shows would never see the light of day otherwise, AND because they loved the shows so much they wanted everyone to see them.

Nowadays, it’s all about seeing which group can get the latest episode of Gundam out three seconds ahead of each other, and which group can do the flashiest, most obtrusive and distracting karaoke special effects.

Basically, it’s internet phallus-waving, and I find it disgusting. It should be about the anime, not the egotistical fansubbers who give themselves names like “samurai^pwn-master-sama or “ninjaX-box kid666.”

Rachel: Why do you think fansubs have evolved (or devolved) into some of the examples you give in your video?

Paul: See the above answer. It’s all about competition and ego-stroking now. To “pwn” the competition, fansub groups feel they must clutter the screen with flashing karaoke font and bouncing special attack names that fly across the screen whenever someone launches a punch.

Also, the “cult of weeaboos” has grown to such an extent that modern anime viewers demand a Japanese language lesson with each episode they download. We’re talking people who actually use words like “baka” and “san” in with their everyday conversations at the mall. The fact that anime was never meant to be a Japanese language learning lesson never crosses their minds. I’ve heard mention of fansub groups being flamed because they didn’t include large amounts of cultural notes explaining every little word or Japanese term.

Rachel: What do you say to fans who watch fansubs for the culture “lessons”? How much a part of the problem are they since they insist on all these bells and whistles?

Paul: In short, if you insist on massive amounts of explanation notes and watch anime because it “teaches you Japanese”, then go take a Japanese class instead and leave the rest of us, who just want to enjoy the show, in peace. Anime isn’t for learning Japanese – it’s for watching and enjoying. People like that are holding back fansubbers from producing legible, solid translations in actual straightforward English.

PLUS… if you spoke anime-Japanese for real in Japan, people would think you were insane. It’s not how people really talk there. Japanese people don’t really say “dattebayo” in conversation and “koko wa kisama no hakaba da!” when they’re having a fight in a bar. People who insist on Japanese lessons at the expense of watching the actual show are, in my opinion, being very disrespectful to the staff who sweated to create the anime and meet the strict, backbreaking deadlines. The directors did NOT intend their shows to be watched with three lines of notes covering their art in order to explain what a “nakama-doushi” means to a bunch of “Wapanese” wannabes.

Rachel: How fair are the examples in the video of the current state of fansubs?

Paul:Well, many of the comments I received criticized the video for deliberately picking the worst examples but, to be perfectly honest, I just grabbed a random batch of fansubs and that’s what I ended up with.

As I said before, I’m a professional translator so I’m not in with the fansub “scene” and don’t know which groups are supposedly good or bad, so I just grabbed what I could and took it from there. I really didn’t have the time (nor the inclination) to hand-pick bad examples just to prove my point.
I’m sure there are better fansubs than the ones shown in my video. At least, I sincerely hope there are!

Rachel: Which anime fansubs would you say modern fansubbers should aspire to?

Paul: Definitely Psycho KORps‘ mid 90s fansubs of Macross 7. Simple, easy to read font. Good, solid translation. No karaoke at all and just good, solid translation.

There are many more I could mention but the names escape me at the moment! Central Anime produced some good work in the 90s, too, as I recall. Cathedral Animation, too. All of the subs were simple, so your attention was always on the anime, where it belonged.

My first really bad experience with fansubs was HECTO and their fansubs of Rurouni Kenshin…which were almost entirely wrong and written in some kind of Chinese-English hybrid “grammar.”

Jimaku were another fine group who did excellent, simple, no-nonsense fansubs in the early 90s…though they may have fallen from grace now. I haven’t checked.

Rachel: How do you react to some fansubbers claims that fansubbing is about competition and fun?

Paul:I shall allow “N-Bomb” of the animesuki forum to answer that one for me:

“If you were doing it only as a hobby, you’d keep it to yourself. Bottom line. The fact that you’re releasing it is not some pity candy for the masses, it’s because you want to show off your skills or whatever to people and get praise and popularity for it.”

I don’t think it’s about fun at all. I think it’s about trying to, as they say these days “pwn the competition.”

Rachel: What would you like to see happen with fansubbers and their work?

Paul:I’d like them to bin the honorifics, translation notes, flashy, pointless karaoke effects etc and actually TRANSLATE for a change. Also, I want no more than two lines of song lyrics on an opening sequence. Seriously…What is the point of putting the kanji up there as well? That’s another thing which sickens me.

Basically, make it about the anime again, not the pointless competition.

Rachel: Going back to the irate fansubbing community, what would you like to say to them about the way fansubbing is headed?

Paul:Well, I shall quote the end of my video for this one, although you’d have to watch the Speed Grapher “ultimate fansub” mock-up I produced at the end of part 5 of the documentary first:

“Enjoy the following, because this is the way that fansubs are heading. And this is the kind of translation sandwich you’re going to be forced to feast on every day at the buffet of subtitle hell.”
_______________________________________________________________________________________
We’d like to thank Paul Johnson for giving us the opportunity to interview him!

So, how does his interview change your opinion of fansubs? Do you still feel modern fansubs are fantastic? Or has Paul inspired you to rethink your thoughts on fansubs?

Please share your thoughts on the interview in the comments section!

Yuko has big plans in store for Watanuki in Volume Two of xxxHolic!

plot summary

Watanuki has fallen into cooking, cleaning and exorcising spirits for Yuko as if he’s done so his whole life. He doesn’t seem to mind the hours upon hours of culinary drudgery for a demanding mistress, but when it comes to the more supernatural aspects of his indentured servitude, Watanuki is less than enthusiastic.

Which is why Watanuki’s quasi-nemesis cum friend, Domeki, accompanies him occasionally on his tasks. Other times, it’s Yuko or Mokona who takes Watanuki in hand for his esoteric errands.

Each time Yuko gets the reluctant boy involved in a supernatural quagmire, she makes sure he learns something from the experience. Just what kind of plans does Yuko have for Watanuki?

review

While one of the episodes, “Indulgence” didn’t make much sense, the rest of the volume carried its weight and entertained. Not all the cases Yuko involves herself in pertain to people with bad habits or addictions. She sometimes lends a helping hand to beings from other realms, namely the Spiritual. But she always manages to drag Watanuki into the supernatural equation, whether he wants to or not.

With all the frequent binge eating Yuko does, Watanuki is usually cooking up a storm of traditional Japanese food. The culinary references in the series are a real bonus for someone into the native cuisine. Keep your eyes and ears peered for a taste of Japan hidden in the series!

Even though the nature of the series is that of solving case after case, the series so far doesn’t seem repetitive. Each episode builds slightly on the last to further the story, and the characters are also built upon as well.

Character Development

Watanuki is being shown to be a truly compassionate person, so although he may not like a situation, he still does what it takes to resolve it. He even stomachs having his “rival”, the stolid Domeki, around.

Yuko is still a mystery, but it seems she has something up her stylish sleeve when it comes to Watanuki’s supernatural education.

Character Design

It’s amazing that in every single episode, Yuko has on at least one different outfit. As odd as it seems, the fact that the studio took the time to draw and animate a new set of duds for every episode is impressive. Little details like this in the character designs really adds a dimension to the visuals. It’s a newness which is appealing.

Animation

The animation is still not up to par. Shots and scenes are frequently hazy or out of focus, two things which I don’t think are intended. It’s unfortunate, especially since the series deserves something better from the studio.

Conclusion

Volume Two of xxxHolic is a decent volume with good balance of visuals and story. However, it could have been much better with cleaner animation and more solid pacing.

Rating

xxxHolic, Volume Two gets 3 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Funimation
• Release Date:May 6, 2008
• Retail Price: $29.98
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes:5-8
• Run Time:100 minutes
• Rating: TV-PG
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

In honor of International Lolita Day, Kinokuniya Bookstore in New York City is teaming up with Del Rey Manga, Samurai Beat Radio, and VIZ Pictures to hold the very first Lolita and Maid Day.

Lolita and Maid Day

When: June 7th, 2008, starting at 10:00 AM
Where: Kinokuniya Bookstore, New York City, New York (USA)

Here’s the official press release:
The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) today announced it is partnering with Del Rey Manga, Samurai Beat Radio, and VIZ Pictures to hold the first Lolita and Maid Fashion Day at the largest Japanese bookstore in North America – New York City’s Kinokuniya Bookstore. Taking place Saturday, June 7 2008 in celebration of International Lolita Day, Kinokuniya Bookstore located at 1073 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan will present a day-long series of events showcasing the diverse world of cute, cool, elegant, and hip fashion in modern Japan, namely Japanese Lolita and Maid fashions.

“We’re proud to help create Lolita and Maid Fashion Day at Kinokuniya,” New York Anime Festival Show Manager Lance Fensterman said. “Lolita and Maid fashion have quickly become two of the most prolific ambassadors of anime, manga, and Japanese culture in America, and the New York Anime Festival couldn’t be happier bringing these fashions to New York City – the fashion capital of the world.”

Kinokuniya’s Lolita and Maid Fashion Day will include special all-day activities as well as a series of Lolita and Maid-themed speakers and presentations…

Kinokuniya Lolita And Maid Fashion Day All-Day Events

Anime And Manga Discount: Any customer who comes into Kinokuniya Bookstore at 1073 Avenue of the Americas on Saturday, June 7 wearing a Lolita or Maid dress or anime, manga, or video game cosplay will receive 10% off all anime and manga purchases.

Lolita And Maid Sweets: Café Zaiya on Kinokuniya’s second floor presents a special menu of Lolita and Maid-themed desserts made especially for Lolita and Maid Day.

Lolita And Maid Fashion Day Giveaway: All customers who come into Kinokuniya Bookstore can enter to win a number of prizes from Del Rey Manga, the New York Anime Festival, and VIZ Pictures. Prizes include a collection of 100 of Del Rey Manga’s best-selling and fan-favorite books, free tickets to this September’s New York Anime Festival, and select films from the VIZ Pictures catalog. Winners will be drawn at the end of the day, and customers must be present to claim their prizes.

If you are able to go, send us a report back and we’ll try to post it on the site. Photos are also welcome!